Aspirants have been waiting for the recruitment for posts in the Women and Child Welfare Department since nearly 15 years, even as the Andhra Pradesh government has acknowledged the need to fill the vacancies to strengthen the delivery of welfare programmes at the grassroots level.
The last recruitment notification for Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) posts was issued in 2012, before Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated. Despite financial clearance for 243 posts in March 2023 and subsequent permission to recruit through the Andhra Pradesh Medical Services Recruitment Board (APMSRB), no notification has been issued so far.
A fresh concern has emerged following the government’s decision to sanction only 29 vacancies under G.O. Ms. No. 81, against the 243 posts cleared earlier, leaving aspirants questioning the status of the remaining 214 posts.
Under G.O. Ms. No. 34, issued by the Finance Department on March 31, 2023, the government had accorded permission to fill 243 vacancies through the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC). These included 61 posts of CDPOs, Assistant CDPOs, Women and Child Welfare Officers and Managers, Regional Warehouses; 161 Supervisor Grade-I posts across four zones and 21 Superintendents of Children Homes.
The government subsequently changed the recruiting agency through G.O. Ms. No. 40, issued by the Women, Children, Differently Abled and Senior Citizens Department on October 17, 2023. The order permitted APMSRB to undertake the recruitment as a one-time measure instead of APPSC.
The department had justified the urgency, stating that CDPOs and Supervisors played a vital role in addressing malnutrition among children below six years, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers.
They are also responsible for monitoring welfare programmes, coordinating with the Health and Family Welfare Department and extending timely support to women in need.
However, the change in the recruitment agency has prompted objections from aspirants, who have submitted representations to the APPSC seeking the Commission's restoration of the recruitment process.
“When recruitment to these positions is traditionally being conducted through the APPSC, why divert them toAPMSRB now,”asks D. Sai Pavani, a job aspirant.
Their representation also raises procedural concerns surrounding the government’s decision and the jurisdiction of APMSRB, which was constituted primarily to recruit personnel for the Health, Medical and Family Welfare Department. “We urge the authorities to reconsider the October 2023 order and issue the notification through APPSC,” says Indhuja, another aspirant.
APPSC member Parige Sudhir said that he had submitted a representation to the Commission authorities, urging them to address concerns related to recruitment, but the representation was not forwarded to the government, leaving the issue unresolved.
The prolonged delay has left many aspirants facing the prospect of crossing the prescribed age limit, despite years of preparation. The absence of a notification in the recent job calendar has added to the uncertainty.
Aspirants are seeking clarity on why the 243 posts cleared in 2023 have not been filled and what happened to the remaining vacancies.
Published - October 16, 2026 11:37 am IST